ACAT Meeting -February 27, 2025

Minutes of Meeting:

ACAT General Meeting

Meeting Date:

Thursday, February 27, 2025 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Location:

Hybrid meeting via Teams

Present:

• Betty Rivington Law, ACAT Chair
• Lori Bailey, ACAT Vice-Chair
• Sophie Petrillo, ACAT Vice-Chair
• Tammy Adams 
• Mei Hung
• Frank Lockhart
• Maria Marin
• Angela Marley
• Karen Mootoo
• Craig Nicol
• Jason Osborne
• Lauri Sue Robertson
• Chau Sheung Wong

Pool Members:

• Oliva Darwin
• Azim Lila
• Nathaniel Tok

Absent:

• Debbie Gillespie
• Lavarnan Mehavarnan
• Paul Manna

TTC Representatives:

• Bruce Macgregor, Deputy CEO
• Cameron Penman, Head of Wheel-Trans
• Dean Milton, Manager, Strategic Initiatives, Wheel-Trans
• Levenson Lincoln, Assistant Manager, Wheel-Trans
• Jeff Short, Senior Planner, Strategy & Foresight
• Natalie Francis, Manager, Planning and Policy, Wheel-Trans
• Adrienne Isaac, Administrative Assistant, Wheel-Trans
• Ross Visconti, Project Manager, Wheel-Trans
• Lodon Hassan, Divisional Manager, Customer Service, Wheel-Trans
• Stephan Boston, Chief Instructor, Operations Training Centre 
• Sneha Madhuri, Communications Advisor, Corporate Communications
• David LoPresti, Manager, Contracted Taxi Services, Wheel-Trans
• Mohammed Shaikh, Divisional Manager, Wheel-Trans
• Chrisanne Finnerty, Director, Commission Services
• Celeste Young, Investigator/Advisor, HR Investigation Dept.

Items Discussed

1. Call to Order / Attendance
2. Land Acknowledgement
3. Declaration of Conflict of Interest
4. Approval of Agenda 
5. Review and Approval of January 30, 2025, Minutes
6. Outstanding Items 
7. Remarks from TTC Executive
8. Remarks from ACAT Chair 
9. Wheel-Trans Transformation Update from Cameron Penman 
10. Deputation:  Nil 
11. Review of Correspondence: Nil 
12. Subcommittee Reports, Highlights and Updates 
    - Communications 
    - Design Review 
    - Service Planning 
    - Wheel-Trans Operations 
13. Other/New Business
14. Next Meeting – March 27, 2025 
15. Adjournment 

1. Call to Order/Attendance 

Betty Rivington Law, ACAT Chair, called the meeting to order at 1:06 p.m. Attendance was taken.  

2. Land Acknowledgement 

The ACAT Chair read the Land Acknowledgement. 

3. Declaration of Conflict of Interest 

Nil.
 

4. Approval of Agenda 

Addition to New/Other Business:
Operator Recertification Participation by ACAT Members

Motion to approve the agenda as amended: Lauri Sue Robertson 
Seconded: Craig Nicol
Carried:  Agenda approved.

5. Review and Approval of January 30, 2025 Minutes 

Motion to approve the Minutes of January 30, 2025: Sophie Petrillo
Seconded: Tammy Adams
Carried: Approved.

6. Outstanding Items 

a. AODA Training

Members were reminded to complete this and provide the certificate to Adrienne Isaac, Wheel-Trans Administrative Assistant, by February 28, 2025.

b. Recommendations for Honorarium - Pool Members

The ACAT Chair confirmed the issue of a pool member honorarium would be addressed at the next ACAT General Meeting. 

c. Scarborough Subway Extension Motion

This item was deferred to Q3 to give the DRS an opportunity to fully review.

d. Recommendation to Honour Sam Savona

This item is deferred to Q4 when it is hoped that the College Street elevator will be accessible.

7. Remarks from TTC Executive – Bruce Macgregor, Deputy CEO 

Bruce Macgregor, Deputy CEO, thanked all ACAT members for their work and dedication, noting how important it is to all TTC customers in Toronto. He noted that there are major undertakings coming up, which include a focus on wayfinding improvements and a better communication system to communicate with customers.

Questions and Comments from the Committee

A member asked if there was feedback on the new bus routes travelling between Kipling and High Park Stations, and the modified bus routes along Avenue Road and Yonge Street that have been changed to ensure there is access to accessible subway stations. Bruce Macgregor will ask the Service Planning Department to provide an update to the Committee.

A member asked about the partnership that the TTC has with the City of Toronto when it comes to clearing snow at the bus stops and TTC access points. Bruce Macgregor noted that the last couple of weeks of snow had been challenging due to the significant amounts of snowfall. The TTC is in contact with the City and if ACAT members notice any areas that have not been cleaned to please let the TTC know as they can direct the City to those areas.

A member noted the public has heard about the Line 2 subway cars being ready for retirement and asked about replacements. Bruce Macgregor advised that financing from all three levels of government has been confirmed and information would be presented to ACAT subcommittees soon.

A member discussed the distance at Kennedy Station for customers to get from the subway platform to buses. Bruce Macgregor noted that this is due to work being done on the Eglinton Crosstown and the Scarborough Subway Extension (SSE), with the SSE work not expected to be completed until sometime in the 2030s. The bus routes “temporarily” relocated to further points at the terminal were those that would inconvenience the smallest number of passengers.

8.  Remarks from the ACAT Chair 

Betty Rivington Law, ACAT Chair, expressed her gratitude to the recently elected Subcommittee Chairs for stepping up to support the committee. She recently delivered her second report to the TTC Board and remained eager to attend the openings of additional accessible stations, acknowledging the dedication and hard work of ACAT in advancing accessibility initiatives.

9. Wheel-Trans Transformation Update from Cameron Penman 

Cameron Penman, Head of Wheel-Trans, provided an update on the Transformation Program. Information about upcoming events for the Wheel-Trans 50th anniversary celebration will be sent to ACAT members over the next few months.

TTC staff continue to work towards the new Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) and Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems. Request for Proposals (RFPs) have gone out. This update will allow TTC staff to locate vehicles and upgrade routes based on real-time traffic conditions. The IVR system would integrate four different phone numbers into one point of contact for Wheel-Trans customers and simplify contacting Wheel-Trans by phone. Phases 5 to 8 of the Reservations, Scheduling, and Dispatch software upgrades have started. The updates will improve travel times based on traffic conditions and allow Wheel-Trans to better manage customer needs. 

The eligibility re-registration efforts for Wheel-Trans legacy customers continues to progress successfully. Re-registration ensures that all customers follow the AODA requirements of categorizing customers as having unconditional, conditional or temporary eligibility. Approximately 17,500 customers have been re-registered overall. The remaining 2,800 customers will be re-registered by the end of 2025, with 200 already re-registered this year. 

Most Accessible Taxis now have “Where Is My Ride” capability, which is a feature that shows the vehicle location. Beck Taxi Accessible Taxis will be integrated over the next few months and then sedan vehicles will be integrated to include the “Where Is My Ride” feature in the future. 

Questions and Comments from the Committee 

Nil.

10. Deputation 

Nil.

11. Review of Correspondence 

Nil.

12. Subcommittee Reports, Highlights and Updates 

Communications Subcommittee (CS)

The CS meeting was held February 6, 2025 at 1 p.m. The election of a CS Chair was deferred. TTC staff presented information about the TTC Wheel-Trans survey and requested feedback. Sneha Madhuri, Communications Advisor, Corporate Communications, provided an update about events planned for the Wheel-Trans 50th Anniversary. The issue of elevator and escalator outages was reassigned to the Service Planning Subcommittee.

The next meeting is scheduled for March 6, 2025 at 1 p.m. 

CS Meeting Highlights: 

• TTC Wheel-Trans survey feedback 
• Wheel-Trans 50th Anniversary events 
• Elevator and escalator outages re-assigned to SPS 

Design Review Subcommittee (DRS) 

The DRS meeting was held February 11, 2025 at 1:30 p.m. Craig Nicol was acclaimed as the 2025 DRS Chair. The capacity improvement project at Bloor-Yonge station was discussed, specifically concerns about platform edge doors and the platform width at Line 2 westbound.  

The next DRS meeting is scheduled for March 11, 2025 at 1:30 p.m. 

DRS Meeting Highlights:

• Craig Nicol acclaimed as 2025 DRS Chair 
• Bloor-Yonge capacity improvement project platform edge doors and platform Line 2 westbound width   

Wheel-Trans Operations Subcommittee (WTOS)

The WTOS meeting was held February 12, 2025 at 1 p.m. Lauri Sue Robertson was appointed to be the 2025 WTOS Chair. Mohammed Shaikh, Divisional Manager, Wheel-Trans, discussed new PRESTO fixed units that will be put in Wheel-Trans buses in the near future. Concerns about the ability to access the machines, paying with a digital wallet and the location of the PRESTO unit were discussed. Wheel-Trans customer complaints were reviewed and questions asked about obtaining more detailed information. TTC staff will provide additional information at a future WTOS meeting for further discussion. 

The next WTOS meeting is March 12, 2025 at 1 p.m.     

WTOS Meeting Highlights:

• Lauri Sue Robertson appointed to 2025 WTOS Chair 
• Fixed PRESTO machines in Wheel-Trans buses
• Wheel-Trans Customer Complaints   

Service Planning Subcommittee (SPS)

The SPS meeting was held on February 18, 2025 at 1:30 p.m. Debbie Gillespie was acclaimed as the 2025 SPS Chair. The Subcommittee asked for a presentation to be arranged from the Operating Training team to address conflicting information given to Operators and ACAT. 

The next meeting is scheduled for March 18, 2025 at 1:30 p.m.  

SPS Meeting Highlights

• Debbie Gillespie acclaimed as 2025 SPS Chair
• Operator Training future presentation to address conflicting information

13. Other/New Business 

a. Operator Recertification Participation by ACAT Members

A member discussed ACAT member participation in Operator training sessions and encouraged members to sign up to speak at recertification sessions to help Operators understand ACAT and how to help TTC be more accessible. She discussed that it is important to convey to Operators that each person and disability is unique and things impact people differently. The member referred to a document in the ACAT Member’s Manual entitled “Talking Points for Participation on Staff Training,” which gives ACAT members a consistent message for Operators. She suggested updating the Talking Points section of the manual. The member will send her suggested edits to Adrienne Isaac, who will send a copy of the current wording and the suggested updates to ACAT members and to Stephan Boston, Chief Instructor, Operations Training Centre, for review and feedback.  

b. AODA Training - Issue for Members using Screen Readers

A member noted that the AODA overview online training presented significant challenges when using a screen reader. In response, Jeff Short requested that those who encountered issues provide specific details, which he would then forward to the provincial government which developed the training.

c. Feedback from Riders

A member asked about the TTC providing Wi-Fi on Wheel-Trans buses and possibility an area to charge their mobility devices on the bus. Cameron Penman would take this back to the proper team and get a reply back to members.

d. Inconsistent messaging about Operator protocols and procedures 

A member noted discrepancies between what Operators advise about protocols and procedures and what ACAT is advised. She provided an example of ACAT being told that if the air conditioning is not working on a Wheel-Trans bus it should be reported and the bus turned in for a new bus. Operators have advised they are told to keep driving unless it is a heat alert day. Jeff Short and Stephan Boston will report back to ACAT once they clarify the policy. 

14. Next Meeting 

Next ACAT General Meeting: Thursday, March 27, 2025 at 1 p.m.

15. Adjournment 

Meeting adjourned at 2:16 p.m. on a motion by Lori Bailey.

Cindy Edwards
Recording Secretary